What’s In Your Fridge is where the Straight asks interesting Vancouverites about their life-changing concerts, favourite albums, and, most importantly, what’s sitting beside the Heinz Ketchup in their custom-made Big Chill Retropolitan 20.6 cubic-foot refrigerators. 

On the grill

Jackson J Gardner of Gleaneagle. 

Who are you

My name's Jackson and I’m one of the guitar players and singers in Gleneagle. We play hard hitting rock and roll and we also all have Costco cards and live with a cat named Taro. 

First concert

I’m not ashamed to admit my very first concert was the Backstreet Boys in 1999 with my parents. I was six or seven years old and I was a super fan. I knew every word to every song. Maybe that’s why I’m still such a sucker for a great pop hook. Come to think of it, I still like the Backstreet Boys. I wonder if they’re still touring... 

Life-changing concert

I’ve been lucky enough to see some great shows, but in 2009 I got to see Arkells soundcheck at a bar in Kamloops and I’ll never forget that. I was only 15 so I couldn’t stay for the actual show but I knew the show promoter, and being the great guy that he is, he was kind enough to let me sit in and listen to the soundcheck. The band caught wind of my being there and after the soundcheck they asked me if there was any other songs I wanted to hear and kept playing. They played a mini set for me and pulled out all the stops. I’ll never forget all of that kindness, and seeing a band you look up to throw down hard in an empty room just for one 15 year old kid is really something else. 

Top three records

Attack in Black Marriage This album really changed the game for me. It was one of the first albums I picked up that seamlessly blended so many genres. Some tracks are punk, some tracks are alt-country, others are ska-tinged indie rock, but all of them are great. Attack in Black were true Canadian legends.

The Weakerthans Reconstruction Site This is one of the most "Canadian-sounding" bands that I know and I love that. Everything they've done is great, but this album is their masterpiece in terms of concept and flow. It’s quirky and honest, and John K Samson is on another level as a lyricist. The lyrics could stand alone from the music and it would still be amazing, which is hard say about many other albums. 

Bruce Springsteen Born to Run  What can I say about this album that hasn’t already been said? It’s an absolute classic. Working class underdog rock and roll anthems that encourage: "Things may not be good right now, but we’re going to make it." 

All-time favourite video

Blink-182 "First Date"  I definitely grew up on Blink-182 and they have some great videos, but this one really takes the cake for me. It’s basically a fast-moving, three-and-a-half-minute-long mini-movie that tells the story of three horny, pot-smoking teens in the 1970s and it’s hilarious. I can watch this video again and again.   

What’s in your fridge

Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce. I’m a vegetarian but I still put that stuff on everything. I originally caught wind of it in that cringey Facebook live video that went viral – the one of Mark Zuckerberg (of Facebook) in his backyard going off about how he’s “smoking these meats” and almost never blinking somehow. He mentions SBR’s a few times in the video and, like any good mindless consumer, I picked up a bottle. It's damn good.

Wet cat food. It’s disgusting but our cat Taro is a prince and he always gets what he wants. We let him have half a can at a time, and then he meows louder than a human can yell and we immediately give him the other half.

GURU energy drink. It’s organic and sweetened with Stevia and it’s amazing. I usually drink a couple of these bad boys a day because I need caffeine to function and I have little regard for my personal heath or safety. I can’t even describe how they taste, it’s like it’s own unique flavour. And it’s magical. 

You can listen to Gleneagle's new single, "2009", here.